Homesite and Burial Place of General Joseph Burton Johnson
Fairfield, Freestone County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(April 7, 1816 - January 18, 1874) Planter, soldier, civic leader. Born in Georgia. Commissioned a captain in U. S. Army in Florida in 1837; a major, 1846. Came to Freestone County in 1854. For headquarters on his 10,550-acre plantation, built (1860) at this site a 12-room stone mansion. Served as brigadier general of Texas State Troops in Civil War. A county commissioner; first master of Texas State Grange; a Royal Arch Mason. Made gifts to worthy causes and to minorities. He married Patience Ponder; had 5 children. Descendants include lawyers, merchants, doctors, law officers, printers, teachers.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born in Georgia in 1816, Joseph Burton Johnson served as a U.S. Army officer in Florida and rose to major by the Mexican-American War era before settling in Freestone County in 1854. On his sprawling 10,550-acre plantation he built a twelve-room stone mansion in 1860 and served as a brigadier general of Texas State Troops during the Civil War. A county commissioner and the first master of the Texas State Grange, he left descendants across many walks of life.
Why it matters
His life traces the arc of the antebellum planter class — military service, vast landholding, and Confederate allegiance — that shaped much of 19th-century Texas.
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Related people
- · Joseph Burton Johnson
- · Patience Ponder
Themes & tags
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